82' Substitution

Fulham were denied a priceless three points as Hull City came from two down to draw at Craven Cottage on Saturday.

After a low-key first half, the Whites flew out of the blocks following the break and took the lead through Ashkan Dejagah’s sweet strike.

The lead was doubled not long after when Fernando Amorebieta headed in for his first goal for the Club, and a sense of belief engulfed the ground.

But Hull’s strike force of Nikica Jelavic and Shane Long headed in a goal each to leave Fulham crestfallen and forced to settle for one point instead of three.

Felix Magath made three changes to the side that lost at Tottenham Hotspur last week, with the previously ineligible Lewis Holtby and ill Sascha Riether returning to the starting line-up, alongside Mahamadou Diarra who was absent at White Hart Lane through injury.

The first opening of the game arrived on five minutes when Amorebieta showed good vision to spot Hugo Rodallega’s run into the box. The Colombian killed the ball with his first touch and laid it off to John Arne Riise whose drilled first-time effort flew a yard wide of the far post.

Amorebieta was also involved in the Whites’ next opportunity seven minutes later when he delivered a superb cross from the left that narrowly evaded the outstretched boot of Rodallega – any touch and it would have been a goal.

Hull responded when Ahmed Elmohamady whipped over a ball for Jelavic to attack, but his header was straight down David Stockdale’s throat, with the goalkeeper claiming easily.

Referee Lee Mason brandished the first card of the afternoon on 16 minutes when Elmohamady threw himself to the ground in the penalty area claiming Amorebieta had fouled him. But it was the Hull man who was booked for simulation.

Jelavic then followed his teammate into the book five minutes later when he went in high on Scott Parker.

Fulham were making all of the running but had to be alert defensively to block a dangerous strike from Liam Rosenior. The former Whites full-back’s shot deflected over the bar for a corner which caused a few moments of unease, but the home defence eventually cleared the danger.

Long took a tumble on 41 minutes under the attentions of Amorebieta in the box and hearts were in mouths as Mason assessed the situation but, thankfully, the referee ruled no foul.

As half-time approached, Jake Livermore became the third man to enter Mason’s notepad after going through the back of Rodallega in the centre circle.

Magath made two changes at the interval, with Holtby and Riise making way for Dejagah and Kieran Richardson.

And Richardson made an immediate impact, winning a corner within a minute of the restart, with Rodallega volleying over when he met Dejagah’s set-piece.

The final substitution for the home side arrived not long after when Steve Sidwell – who had taken a knock in the first half – made way for Darren Bent.

Magath’s tactical decisions proved to be spot-on when Dejagah handed his side the lead in the 55th minute. He faked one way inside the box before cutting onto his weaker left foot and bending a sumptuous strike into the far top corner. Magical stuff from the Iranian.

And it was two moments later to send Craven Cottage into delirium. A delightful floated cross from Richardson was delivered straight onto the head of Amorebieta who glanced a perfectly placed effort beyond Steve Harper in the Hull goal.

The second goal really relieved the suspense around the ground, although there was still plenty of tension on the pitch, with Diarra becoming the first Fulham man booked on 66 minutes following an altercation with Tom Huddlestone.

Steve Bruce then made his first change, and it was an attacking one as his defender son Alex made way for forward Sone Aluko.

The Whites were keen to kill the game once and for all and had a half chance to do so in the 71st minute following a quick break by Rodallega. He fed his strike partner Bent down the left but his return ball took a deflection which meant it didn’t reach its intended recipient.

The two combined again two minutes later when Rodallega’s flick on sent Bent through, but Curtis Davies recovered well to deny the substitute a shooting opportunity.

Hull got back into the game in bizarre circumstances with quarter of an hour remaining. A Riether tackle saw the ball fly 20 yards back towards goal which Stockdale was forced to tip onto the crossbar, and Jelavic was lurking to head into an empty net.

They came within a whisker of equalising moments later, too, when Aluko’s looping effort crashed back off the bar.

But Fulham almost restored their two-goal lead in the 81st minute when Rodallega squared for Dejagah, only for Harper to pull off a brilliant stop at the winger’s feet. Bent followed up with a curling strike but his left footed effort bent narrowly wide of the far post.

It was hard to watch stuff for the home fans when the ball broke to Elmohamady in space in the box with four minutes remaining, with the winger’s low strike coming back off the upright before being cleared to safety.

And, heartbreakingly, the Whites were unable to hang on, with Long diving to head home Aluko's deep cross a minute later.

The home side pushed for a winner but Hull were quite content to get everyone behind the ball, and Fulham were forced to settle for a point when three had appeared to be coming our way.